NYAFF WEEKEND REPORT

The New York Asian Film Festival kicked off over the weekend and things have been a little touch and go. Some prints didn't show up for their first screening, causing high levels of stress and agitation (they're here now, thank goodness), the Anthology air conditioning system was broken on Friday night, although it was repaired by showtime on Saturday, and the gorgeous new print of EK HASINA THI we screened on Sunday comes complete with an ad for a canker sore cream called Smyle at the front that looks like something out of a VD scare film from the 1950's. It's worth a special trip to the Anthology just to see it.

The sell-outs this weekend were A BITTERSWEET LIFE, THE GREAT YOKAI WAR (which was enthusiastically received by riff raff and film intellectuals alike) and SHINOBI - with a nearly-sold out crowd for CROMARTIE HIGH SCHOOL. So far so good. Maybe we'll make our money back this year! The bummer of the weekend was the small house for ART OF THE DEVIL 2. Only about 50 or 60 people showed up but the movie went over so well that we were all dying for it to screen in a sold-out house. The screams and groans and gasps of disbelief in the final 40 minutes were fun, but more people = more fun. This is the kind of movie that gives maximum pleasure in a theater, but will make you feel dirty if you watch it alone at home. The next (and last!) screening of AOTD2 is 8:45 tonight (Monday, June 19) at the Anthology so come on down and see baby alligators hatch out of some poor guy's back.

The press coverage has been great so far with the Village Voice singling out PEACOCK and IT'S ONLY TALK; Manohla Dargis at the New York Times singling out DUELIST and CROMARTIE HIGH SCHOOL; Time Out New York singling out IT'S ONLY TALK and LINDA, LINDA, LINDA and Indiewire singling out SKI JUMPING PAIRS, LINDA LINDA LINDA and A BITTERSWEET LIFE. And Vincent Musetto at the New York Post, bless him, has singled out OH! MY ZOMBIE MERMAID.

And don't miss HogaCentral's report on the wildly successful ALWAYS screening at the Japan Society.

Plus, even more coverage of the festival with a bunch of smart folks picking their faves and trashing some films while praising others. You can enter the fray at Cinephiliac, the Brooklyn Rail, Filmbrain, and The Reeler.